Outstanding tube sockets?

[Lonely Raven]

I'm about to start building my X10 clone, and I'm looking for some truly outstanding tube sockets for it.

I've seen and heard about some CNC machined Teflon sockets that are supposed to be great...but I wanted to see what you all thought and if anyone had used them. At $10 a pop, they are kinda expensive, but supposed to have some nice damping and isolation due to be Teflon.

Are there any tube sockets that really stand above the rest? Or is good, typically, good enough?

[David Root]

I see no point in that audiophool stuff unless you're running very high plate voltages around 1KV or higher, and then I think I'd find some NOS ceramics.

Belton Celanex are the current standard for power tube sockets. Save money and be happy! Parts Connexion, a noted audiophool site, recently started offering these, at higher prices than we pay, so not all audio types are phools.

[Structo]

I suppose the Teflon sockets are the creme dela creme of sockets but like David said, most guitar amp guys like the Beltons.

There are a few places like AES that sell the older NOS styles.

I have also used ceramic sockets which are supposed to resist arcing better but have also read that ceramics can be microphonic because of their hardness.

If you can afford the Teflon sockets I would be interested in your opinion once you have some experience with them.
I would not however, buy the Chinese version of them since I have read a few bad reports about those.

[guitarmike2107]

I would not however, buy the Chinese version of them since I have read a few bad reports about those.

Are there any tube socket manufacturers left that are not based in asia?

[Jack Hester]

Could this be what you are looking for?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/286

Or this?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/287


Or this?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/288

Or this?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/289

Jack

[selloutrr]

as long as it's not cheap chinese penny saver crap they all work.

The voltages aren't high enough to cause damage to the sockets themselves.

Even the cheap sockets fail point isn't melting they just don't always have tight pins. You can always tighten the pins before you seat the tube and they work fine.

If you have any doubt of the tubes seat use the socket with a cover or spring loaded holder.

Unless you are making an amp that is top quality all the way don't bother spending more on any one given piece.

[Lonely Raven]

I suppose the Teflon sockets are the creme dela creme of sockets but like David said, most guitar amp guys like the Beltons.

There are a few places like AES that sell the older NOS styles.

I have also used ceramic sockets which are supposed to resist arcing better but have also read that ceramics can be microphonic because of their hardness.

If you can afford the Teflon sockets I would be interested in your opinion once you have some experience with them.
I would not however, buy the Chinese version of them since I have read a few bad reports about those.

I've had first hand experience with the ceramics accentuating microphonics...that is part of what made me consider the teflons. I'm tired of rigging up "floating" ceramic sockets to isolate the socket from the chassis, especially since I have so many combos, and I stack my heads on top of cabinets.

I was looking at the Chinese CNC machined Teflons...but your post has me worried about their quality. I'm not going to buy $45 (each!) audiophool ones...but I wouldn't mind splurging $22 on a Chinese PAIR.

[Lonely Raven]

Could this be what you are looking for?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/286

Or this?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/287


Or this?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/288

Or this?:

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/node/289

Jack

Those are molded. Typically they are made of a blend of plastics and Teflon. The ones I was looking at were CNC machined from blocks of Teflon.

But at that price, it's worth a try!

[The New Steve H]

Just make sure that whatever you get, you wave your Shakti stones over them three times before you use them.

Four passes will ruin them, so be careful.

[Lonely Raven]

Just make sure that whatever you get, you wave your Shakti stones over them three times before you use them.

Four passes will ruin them, so be careful.

We wouldn't want to damage the even order harmonics through the crystal lattice now, would we?

[The New Steve H]

I hate that rancid smell you get from squashed electrons.

[Phil_S]

I like these just fine and the price is right. Do you really need something more expensive for a guitar amp?
http://www.apexjr.com/images/SHIELDED9PINSOCKET.jpg
http://www.apexjr.com/images/8PINOCTAL4.jpg
up one level... http://www.apexjr.com/Sockets.htm
I don't like ceramic.

Just my 2 cents.

[Lonely Raven]

Do you really need something more expensive for a guitar amp?
.

I don't know, that's why I asked you guys!

[diagrammatiks]

grab the teflon. they'll never need to be replaced. lower pin to pin capacitance. no risk of arcing.

if you want the best grab the best.

but I guess my opinion is in the minority, just seems silly to me to penny-pinch when the total cost of all the components in an amp minus the trannies hardly tops 100 dollars on average.

[Zippy]

grab the teflon. they'll never need to be replaced. lower pin to pin capacitance. no risk of arcing.

Not so. I've had to replace some high voltage plugs on a microscope that were teflon - they arced VERY well.